Automatic railway-signal



(No Model.) I

A W. W GARY.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SIGNAL.

Patented May 16, 1882.

of the rails of a railroad.

Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. p

WESLEY W. GARY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,933, dated May 16, 1882.

Application filed September 14, 1881.

To all whom it may concern 1 Be it known that I, W. W. GARY, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Automatic Railway-Signals, of which the following is a specification;

The object of this invention is to produce an automatic railway-signal which shall give audible or visual notice, or both, of the approach of trains, the signal being designed for use at stations, crossings, curves, and other'points:

To this end the invention consists in the conibination of a signal mechanism which is wound or set for action by passing trains, a detent op erated by an electro-magnet for permitting the operation of the signal at the required time,

and a magneto-electric generator arranged to be operated by passing trains to produce a current for the purpose of releasing the beforementioned detent. Under my system a train passing the signal operates by elevating a weight or otherwise to set the signal-instrument'for action. Theinstrument remains in this position until a train passing a ma gnetogenerator causes the same to operate and transmit'a current to the magnet of the signal. The signal mechanism which I prefer to employ consists of a gear-train driven by aweightwhich is raised by the passing cars, the weight operating a train of gear, through which a hammer is caused to strike a bell or gong for a considerable period of time. The details of the apparatus may be modified in many respects, which will suggest themselves to the skilled mechanic, without departing from the limits of my invention.

The accompanying drawings represent an apparatus whichIhave found in practice to be satisfactory in its operation.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my apparatus applied in connection with one Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Iteferringto the drawings, A represents a frame-work provided with a bell or gong, B, and with a vibratory hammer, U, to strike the same. This hammer is thrown toward the hell by a spring, D, as shown, and is moved in the opposite direction and released by means of a series of successively-acting pips on one side (No model.)

of the gear-wheelE. This gearwheel is mounted on a shaft driven through apinion, G, from a large gear-wheel, H, mounted in the lower part of the frame. The shaft I of the wheel His also provided with a ratchet-wheel, K, fixed thereon with a loose vertically-vibrating lever, L, the latter provided on its inner end with a pawl, M, to engage in the ratchet-wheel, and at its outer end with aweight, N. As the weight is elevated the pawl passes backward over the ratchet-wheel, permitting the train of gear to remain .at rest; but upon releasing the lever the weight depresses the same and throughthe ratchet imparts motion to thetrain of gotta-whereby the hammer is caused to strike the bell rapidly and for a greater or less length of time, according to the distance at'which the lever is moved and the number of wheels which may be employed in the gear-train. It is manifest that the spring applied in place of the weight as a means of depressing the lever will be an equivalent thereof.

The number of gears employed forms no material part of the invention. It may be increased or diminished, according to the length of time which it-is desired to have the striker operate upon the bell.

As a means of controlling the speed of the gear-train a shaft, 0, is mounted in the top of the frame and provided at one endwith a pinover. The car-wheel, depressing the arm U, serves to operate the rock-shaft, and'thereby, through arms S and rod R, to elevate the car-wheels will act as the train passes therel weight of lever L and set the striking-gear for action.

As a means of holding the gear-train and preventing its operation until the desired moment, the fan-shaft O is provided with a ratchet-wheeh'V, into which a detent lever or pawl, W, engages, as shown in Fig. 1. This lever is provided at its lower end with an armature, coiled with insulated wire, constituting in fact an electro-magnet. The electro-magnet operates in connection with a fixed permanent magnet, X, which serves as an armature therefor. When the electro-magnet is operated by the transmission of an electric current through its coil it serves to operate the detent W, and thereby release the gear-train.

Any suitable magneto-generator operated by a. passing train maybe used to produce the current for operating the electro-magnet; but

- I prefer to make use of the generator represented in the drawings, consisting simply of a rock-shaft, A, located at the side of and at right angles to the railway-track, provided at one end with an arm, B, to be depressed with the car-wheels, and at the opposite end with an arm, carrying a coiled armature, D.

The armature D lies across and above the ends ofthe fixed permanent magnet E, and its coil is connected by electric conductors F with the coil of the electro-magnet of the signal. The car-wheel, in passing over the arm B, causes the arm 0 to elevate the armature away from the magnet E, the effect of which is to depolarize said armature or change its polarity, and therebyinduce an electric current through the conductors F to the electro-magnet of the signaling-instrument and similarly polarize it or change its polarity, thereby releasing the signal and causing the same to operate by the release of the detent WV.

It will be understood that the magnetogenerator may be located at any suitable distance in advance of the signal-instrument, thelatter being located at the station or crossing, so that a train, while still distant from the station or crossing,will cause the signal to commence its instance consists of a rock-shaft, H, extending transversely through the gear-frame, and

provided at one end with a board or signallight, I, which is preferably provided withvthe 0 word Danger, or'like cautionary word upon its face. The shaft H is provided at one end with a weighted arm, J, which tends to turn the shaft until the signal-board is in a horizontal position, indicating safety, the board 5 5 being then presented ed gewise to the observer. The shaft is also provided at the rear end with i an arm, K, upon which the lever L operates in its descent, the effect being to turn the board to a position indicating danger, and retain the same'in that position until the signal is'again set for action by the passing of the next train.

I do not claim herein the visual signal orits connections as herein represented, the right to make the same the subject-matter of a-separate application being herebyreserved.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In an automatic railway-signal, the combination of a bell-strikingtrain, means for setting or adjusting the same for action from passing trains, a detent controlled by an electromagnet to prevent the operation-of the striking-train, and a magneto-generator for the -purpose of releasing the gear-train,'and means,-su'b- 7 5 stantially as described, foroperating the'electro-magnet from passing railway-trains.

2. In a railway-signal,thecombination-of-a bell-striking train of gear, a weighted lever connected therewith by a pawl and ratchet or equivalent cliit'ch, and means, substantially as described, whereby the weight may be'raised by passing trains.

3. In an automatic railway signal,'the combination of a geared bell-striking train, and appliances, substantially such as shown,'whereby said gear is set for action by apassing'train, an electro-magnet for releasing'the geartrain, and a magneto-generatorconnected with said magnet and arranged to be operated byapasso ing railway-train.

' WESLEY WARD GARY.

Witnesses:

JOHN B. TAFT, STILLMAN B. ALLEN. 

